Media plays a significant and growing role not only in the ways in which people in society communicate with and inform one another, but as importantly in the manner in which societies reproduce social mores and reflect reality. Students who plan on pursuing careers in the media (professional and academic) will be faced with difficult choices that carry with them potent ethical repercussions, choices with which technical training alone does not properly equip them to approach in a critical and informed manner.

The purpose of this course is therefore twofold: 1) to equip future media professionals and scholars with sensitivity to moral values under challenge as well as fundamentals in critical thinking and decision making for navigating their roles and responsibilities in relation to them; and 2) honing those same skills and sensitivities for consumers of media and citizens in media saturated societies. The course will focus on core areas of media and communications covered in the Department of Media, Culture and Communication, including, news media, visual media, entertainment, and advertising/PR, with attention to ways that digital media has affected their scope and boundaries and there through has affected the ethical issues they may raise. These topics and concurrent cases will be discussed with reference to fundamental ethical texts.

Course Materials

Readings and other content will be provided on the course site as downloadable documents or web links.

Movies and videos will either be viewed in class or will be available for loan at the Library Reserve Desk.

This course assumes active participation on the part of all students. Absences without prior instructor approval may have a negative impact on students' final grades. Students are expected to complete readings and other assignments prior to class meetings and come prepared with written questions. These should also be posted to the Classroom discussion board.

Throughout the semester, ad hoc groups will be formed for the analysis and presentation of case studies along with write-ups based on these presentations (approximately 800 words.) A short paper (1000-1250 words) discussing a case in relation to ethical theory will be due at the mid-term.

TA final project will be due in the examination period. It will involve a term paper of 10-12 pages and a "product." The product can be a short movie, a game, a polished op ed, a collage of images, or an original case study. The paper accompanying the product will discuss broader questions surrounding it, and will demonstrate an ability to straddle the concrete and the theoretical using the assigned course readings and, if necessary, beyond. In order to discourage "last minute" panics, there will be graded milestones along the way. Students will work with professor and TA developing ideas; time will be allocated during class periods to invite feedback from classmates.

Normally, assignments will be due at the beginning of the class period on the given due date. If this is not possible, other arrangements are to be made with the instructor prior to that time. Assignments turned in late will be subjected to a grade penalty of the instructor's choosing.

1 page summary of ideas for product and paper: 5%
Draft of term paper: 5%
Term paper: 20%
Product: 20%

Note: In order to pass the class passing grades are necessary in ALL elements

Formatting

Papers should be typed, double spaced with default margins and a legible font, and a recognized citation style. We recommend reference programs such as RefWorks (free through the library), EndNote, or Zotero (a free Firefox add-on.) Or, refer to style manuals such as The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, or online at www.internet-resources.com/writers/wrlinks-wordstuff.htm#top.